The Boy, the Dragon and the Tournament
by GallifreyToTrenzalore296
Summary: A new boy called Nickolas enters Hogwarts straight into 4th year with Harry, Ron and Hermione. He's not your typical magician - no wand, owl or spell books, but he's at Hogwarts all the same. A race to find out what sort of magic he does have begins, and meanwhile Tri-Wizard Tournament approaches.
1. The Boy

1 – The Boy

The Great Hall slowly fell away to silence as Dumbledore stood. The First Years had been sorted, and the feast was about to begin. Just a few announcements. Harry Potter waited with his friends Ron and Hermione as eagerly as anyone for the moment when they could start eating. Normally it took just a couple of minutes for Dumbledore to give the reminders, but this year it was different.

'I know you're all keen to tuck in,' said the old Headmaster, 'but this year I'm afraid the announcements will have to go on a little longer than normal. Firstly, you will all have House Meetings in you Common Rooms after the feast. Hopefully the reason for this will become clear a little later. Secondly, we have one more new student. He will be going into Fourth Year, and I hope you will all welcome him. He is not a wizard in the traditional sense, but he will be an important asset to the school, and you should all make the effort to be friends with him. Please say hello to Nickolas Hewitt.'

The doors of the Great Hall swung open, revealing a boy standing on the threshold. He had dark brown hair, and a little on the tall side. He shifted awkwardly under the gaze of the hundreds of students, and looked at the floor.

'Nickolas will be assigned a house when he makes some good friends,' Dumbledore continued. 'Meanwhile, he will be staying elsewhere in the school. He may attend classes as he wishes, and has the choice of whether or not he wishes to come to meals. I do not want any of you to look down on him because he is different. Bear in mind that it would be advantageous to become his friend, both for you and for the school. Thank you Nickolas.'

The new boy ducked his head, and left the hall. The doors swung shut behind him.

'Now, Filch the caretaker has asked me to remind you...' the Headmaster went on, but nobody was listening. At last he finished, and suddenly the tables were groaning with food. Everyone began to eat, but for once the discussion did not revolve around the holidays and being back at school.

'Why do you reckon he's here, if he's not a wizard?' asked Ron, mouth full of chicken.

'Dunno,' said Harry, also digging in. 'Maybe Dumbledore just knows him or something.'

'Be sensible,' said Hermione, exasperated. 'He's obviously got some sort of magical ability, otherwise he wouldn't be here. Dumbledore just said that he wasn't a wizard. That doesn't mean he's not magical. People don't get in just because Dumbledore knows them.'

'Guess you're probably right,' Harry replied. 'But we'll probably find out for sure at the House Meeting.'

'Probably,' Ron agreed. 'It sounds pretty cool though, doesn't it? Going to whatever classes you want.'

Harry jumped in. 'Yeah, that'd be awesome. No more Potions.' The boys started to discuss what subjects they would and wouldn't attend, but they were interrupted before they got far.

'Well, I think you're being insensitive,' said Hermione. 'It'd make you feel like such an outcast. I mean, the poor boy doesn't even have a house. How would that make you feel? No sense of community. That's why Dumbledore's so keen for us to make friends with him, so he feels included. We'll have to try especially hard, since he's in our year.'

The discussion between the three friends was a model of what was being talked about in the rest of the Great Hall. Everyone was curious about who this new boy was, where he came from and what was special about him. They were about to find out.


	2. The Meeting

**2 – The Meeting**

Professor McGonagall swept her eyes over the Gryffindor common room. Satisfied that everyone was there, she began to talk. 'As you all know, there is a new boy at this school, Nickolas Hewitt. You all heard Professor Dumbledore's speech, but he didn't tell you the whole story. Nor can I. Much of it is for Nickolas himself to tell you, if he wishes. But there are some things I can help you with. Nickolas is not a wizard, but he does have magical abilities. Of these abilities, only the Headmaster knows the full extent. I know little, and can tell you even less. All I can say is that Nickolas' abilities are quite different, and he does not need a wand to achieve his means. I would encourage all of you to be careful not to frustrate him, because if he decides to retaliate, there will be no warning. Another thing I can tell you is that when the time comes, Nickolas will choose his house. He must have made some solid friends within a couple of months, or he will have to leave. It would be an honour above all else to be the house that Nickolas chooses. No doubt all the other houses are being told the same thing. I would like to see Gryffindor do its part. One last thing. I know that many of you are interested in the fact that Nickolas can choose his classes. If you become friends with Nickolas, you will be allowed to go with him instead of whichever class you are meant to be attending.'

Everyone in the common room gasped and started whispering excitedly. 'Quiet,' snapped Professor McGonagall. The whispers stopped. 'The Headmaster had decided to give this privilege so that you all realize how important it is that Nickolas finds at least one friend. It would be a huge shame to have one so talented forced to leave the school. Goodnight.'

As McGonagall swept out of the room, everyone started talking. No one could wait until tomorrow, when they would be able to meet and start befriending the new boy. People started to wander off towards their dormitories. Harry and Ron headed up together.

'Wow,' Ron said. 'This must be really important if they're letting us mess around with our education. Hey, how annoyed will you be if Malfoy gets it?'

Harry groaned. 'I don't even want to think about it. That would be the worst. Just imagine how much he'd be lording it over us.' They both shuddered.

'Guess we'll just have to hope that Nickolas has a good sense of character,' Ron said. 'Otherwise were screwed.'

Harry, Ron, Neville and Seamus were in their dormitory discussing Nickolas while getting ready for bed.

'Did you see his knife?' said Seamus.

They all looked at him with identical 'What did you just say?' expressions on their face.

'On his belt,' Seamus elaborated. 'Didn't you see it?'

'When?' Ron asked.

'In the Great Hall, when he came in. It was on his left side, so I didn't see it till he turned to leave, but it was pretty big. How did you miss it?'

Harry shrugged. 'Dunno. Guess I was more focused on Dumbledore or something. What did it look like?'

'I'm not really sure. I only saw it for a second as he stepped out of the Hall. It was about this long.' Seamus held his hands out about ten inches apart. 'It was just in a pretty average black sheath. I wonder how many people saw it.'

The others had other concerns.

'What the hell is he doing with a _knife_?' asked Neville. 'How come Dumbledore lets him carry that around?'

Harry attempted to be the voice of reason. 'Dumbledore's not stupid. He wouldn't let him bring it to class or anything. Let's just calm down.'

Neville was starting to freak out. 'Calm down? He's got a _knife_. He could just come and murder us all, and you want me to calm down?'

Ron tried to help. 'C'mon Neville, he's right. Wait and see. He won't have the knife tomorrow. And anyway, he can't get in here. He doesn't know the password.'

Neville tried to stop hyperventilating. 'Guess you guys are probably right. Sorry. Hey, Seamus, how many people do you think saw it?'

'I don't know. Probably not that many, or there would've been more of a disturbance. Everyone must've been looking at his face or Dumbledore or something. Anyway, his t-shirt was sort of covering it.'

Ron turned the conversation back to the previous topic. 'What do you guys think he's doing here if he isn't a wizard?'

They all gladly took the opportunity to change the topic. 'Hermione's probably right,' said Harry. 'She reckons he's still magic, just a different kind.'

'Duh,' said Seamus. 'But what's different about him?'

'Maybe he can only do things that don't require a wand,' said Neville. 'Like Mythical Creatures and Herbology and stuff.'

'That'd be pointless,' said Ron. 'And anyway, McGonagall said that he didn't need a wand, and he was dangerous. He can probably just do other stuff.'

Harry shook his head in frustration. 'We're going in circles. We still don't know what he can do.'

There was a pause while everyone tried to think of something new to bring to the discussion.

'We know that he's powerful,' said Seamus, and the debate went on. It was a long time before any of them went to bed.


	3. Class

3 – Class

The next day dawned in a fever of excitement. Everyone wanted to meet Nickolas and become his best friend. Conversations over breakfast were full of 'What ifs' and 'Could you imagine it ifs' about Nickolas. Teachers came around distributing timetables.

'What've we got first?' Harry asked.

'Mythical Creatures with Slytherin,' replied Hermione.

'Slytherin?' groaned Ron. 'You've got to be kidding me. Why are we always with Slytherin?'

'Beats me,' said Harry. 'But it sucks. C'mon, we'd better start heading down there or we'll be late. I can't wait to see Hagrid again.'

'I wonder if Nickolas'll come to class today,' mused Harry.

'What subjects do you reckon he'd take?' asked Ron.

Hermione sighed. 'You're being insensitive. He's new, and different. Now, everyone's going to be pressuring him to become friends. Try and treat him like a normal boy, and let him adjust. Anyway, if you were looking instead of talking, you might have noticed that he's coming this way.'

Ron and Harry swung around, and sure enough, Nickolas was striding across the lawn towards Hagrid's hut. They were not the only ones to notice. Soon everyone was looking at him and whispering. Malfoy sidled over.

'Hello, Weasel, Potter, Granger. Bet you can't wait to try and make friends. I wouldn't worry if I was you. He's not your type.'

Ron swung around. 'Oh, and I suppose he's your type? Sorry, I don't think he looks like scum. Better luck next time.'

'Let's see then. There's you, obviously poor. Granger, obviously not worth the trouble, Potter, obviously lacking in many areas, and me, obviously rich and influential. You really want to go there? Be my guest.'

'You...' Ron growled, finding it hard to come up with words to express his indignation.

'Leave him, Ron. He's not worth the trouble,' said Hermione, pulling at his arm.

'One of these days...' muttered Ron, just as the door to Hagrid's hut swung open.

'Good morning, class,' boomed the half-giant. 'Now, today I've got some really interesting creatures planned. Follow me.' Hagrid swung away and began walking along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, just as Nickolas arrived. Instantly, everyone lost interest in Hagrid and surrounded the new boy, introducing themselves and trying to be friendly. Ron and Harry headed towards him, but Hermione pulled them back.

'Don't go up to him now,' she hissed as she led them after Hagrid. 'You'll just be random faces in the crowd. You need to make yourselves stand out. Talk to him later, when he's not feeling quite so hemmed in.'

Ron grinned. 'Now I remember why I'm friends with you.'

They reached a clearing just inside the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Nickolas was still surrounded by people and looked profoundly uncomfortable. Harry and Ron were glad they'd taken Hermione's advice and waited before introducing themselves. Had they approached him now, they probably would have been seen as the enemy. Hagrid clapped his hands. 'Gather round everyone,' he called. Harry, Ron and Hermione approached. Everyone else ignored him.

'Oi! You lot!' he bellowed. They all jumped and spun around. 'Leave that boy alone and gather round, or I'll start deducting House Points.' Nickolas looked relieved as the class wandered reluctantly over to Hagrid.

'Now,' said Hagrid, making sure everyone was watching him, 'since Buckbeak was such a success last year-' Most of the class groaned, and the Slytherins started booing loudly. Hagrid forged on. 'Since Buckbeak was such a success, I decided that I'd introduce a similar animal. Now, these creatures are quite rare, so I don't know how many of you will have heard of them. Hang on a sec.' Hagrid lumbered off into the trees on the other side of the clearing. He was soon back, holding the rope with a very strange creature attached to the end. It's front half was an eagle like Buckbeak, but it had a smaller build, and its hind quarters were different. They were some kind of big cat, maybe a lion. Hagrid cleared his throat. 'Anyone who can tell me anything about this creature gets house points. The more you know the more points. Anyone?' He gazed around at his thoroughly confused students. 'Hermione?' he asked. She looked uncertain.

'Ummm…' she said. 'Is it a gryphon?'

'Yes,' said Hagrid, beaming. 'Anything else?'

'I don't know much about gryphons…' she trailed off, her brow furrowed in concentration. Hagrid made encouraging gestures. 'But, I know that they're a cross between an eagle and a lion. They're mostly carnivores, but they eat a small selection of plants to help with digestion, and sometimes rocks as well. Ahh… I think that's it.'

'Well done,' said Hagrid. '5 points to Gryffindor. Who else can tell us something?' But no one raised their hand. 'Hewitt?' said Hagrid suddenly. Nickolas' head snapped up. 'Can you tell us what you know about gryphons?' Hagrid asked.

Nickolas ran a hand through his hair and walked to the front of the class to have a closer look. 'Well,' he said. 'For a start, this gryphon's male. You can tell by the longer beak and more heavily built body. A female is smaller in size, with a narrower chest and hind quarters and a smaller, more hooked beak. This one is also not quite full grown. In the next month or two he is likely to grow another foot or so, assuming he eats the right food and gets enough time to exercise. If his final and most vital stage of growth isn't handled properly he probably won't grow much further, and he'll also have a lot of trouble flying 'cause his wings won't grow at all. One reason gryphons are so rare is people would capture and try to raise them. When they stopped growing, they would be stunted and unable to fly. Their owners would then release them, and they would be easy prey for predators and human hunters. So now gryphon-kind is numbered only a couple of hundred. And so I have to wonder, where'd this one come from? I can't think of how you would have caught him, especially as the Ministry has expressly forbidden owning a gryphon without the permission of the Minister himself.' Nickolas looked enquiringly at Hagrid, and then retreated to the back of the class.

Hagrid seemed a tad overwhelmed by the amount of information supplied. 'That amount of information would be worth at least 50 points, but you don't have a house yet, do you?' Hagrid asked. Nickolas shook his head. 'I'll give them to you once you have a house, OK?' Nickolas nodded.

'Right then, on with the lesson.'

The rest of Mythical Creatures was spent learning about gryphons – their natural habitat, their diet, how to raise them and other relevant characteristics. Nickolas spent the rest of the lesson leaning against a tree examining the gryphon from a distance.

At the end of the lesson, Hagrid told them that their homework was to learn something else about gryphons and bring it to the next class. Then he apologised for not allowing them to touch the gryphon, as he couldn't be handled until he was fully grown.

Malfoy turned to Crabbe and Goyle and said so that everyone could hear him: 'What are we, four?'

Hagrid coloured and dismissed them.

The class wandered off towards the main school. 'What've we got next?' Ron asked.

Harry pulled out his timetable. 'Charms and Transfiguration with Ravenclaw, then Herbology with Hufflepuff.'

'Not too bad,' said Hermione cheerfully. 'No Potions and no Slytherin. That's something.'

Ron grimaced. 'There's something as well,' he said, gesturing with his chin towards a group of Slytherins.

'…got Potions next,' Malfoy was saying to Nickolas, who still looked uncomfortable with the amount of people surrounding him.

'I guess I could check it out,' Nickolas said uncertainly. 'But I think Mythical Creatures is more my thing.'

'It'll be fun,' Malfoy assured him, grinning.

Harry scowled. 'Sickening,' he said.

'Try to ignore him,' Hermione said, tugging his arm. 'And just be thankful we're not in our next class with him.'

'I guess,' agreed Harry uncertainly, allowing himself to be pulled along, and the trio headed across the lawn.


	4. The Fight

**4 – The Fight**

Several weeks went by. Nickolas continued to be constantly surrounded by people. His face looked drawn, and he stopped coming to as many classes. Harry, Ron and Hermione had exchanged brief words with him in passing, but he was too surrounded by people to have a proper conversation. Ron was glad he'd stuck to Hermione's advice and not pressured him, but Harry wasn't so sure.

'We should talk to him,' exclaimed Harry, pacing up and down his dormitory. He, Ron and Hermione were the only ones there. The others were in the Common Room, doing homework.

'No,' replied Hermione. 'He looks really stressed out. We should wait till he calms down.'

Harry scowled. 'You'll make us wait till it's too late. We've got to talk to him before Malfoy gets in. Have you seen how much they've been hanging out?'

'And have you seen how much Nickolas seems to hate it?'

'Still…' Harry began, but Hermione cut him off.

'No,' she said, walking forward and jabbing him in the chest. 'You do it your way. You go off and screw it up. But don't come complaining to me when it blows up in your face. I've got homework to do, and don't think that you'll be copying any of it.' She stormed out. Ron looked at Harry.

'Bad move mate,' he said. 'You're stuffed for any subjects you didn't listen in today. Still, at least we didn't have Potions today. Snape would've skinned you alive if you hadn't handed your homework in. You'd better go downstairs and have a crack at it. I'll let you copy mine once she's gone to bed.' Ron stood up and started gathering his school books together.

'Wait,' said Harry. 'Why would it be worth copying you, unless you copied her? How come you think she's going to let you? You agree with me, don't you?'

Ron looked uncomfortable. 'Actually, I agree with Hermione. Her idea makes sense, and she's normally right. She's been right about this so far. Sorry mate.' He grabbed his quill and some ink and left.

Harry stayed where he was, seething. _I'll show them_ he thought. Then he picked up his stuff and headed downstairs to find a quiet corner to work in.


	5. A Bond

**5 – A Bond**

Over the next couple of weeks, Ron tried to explain to his friend, but Harry wasn't having any of it. Eventually Ron just gave up. Harry was determined to prove himself right. He started to talk to Nickolas, and joined the group of people constantly surrounding him. It had been a little over a month since Nickolas had arrived, and he was looking more stressed every day. He started coming to less and less classes. Meanwhile, Ron stuck to Hermione's plan, keeping his distance and not pushing. Then something changed. Nickolas started coming to every class, but he wouldn't tell anyone why. Not even Malfoy, who'd been bugging him since day one. He still looked like hell, but he stopped missing classes. Sometimes he even came to the library to study or do homework. Everyone was wondering about the sudden change.

. . .

The Fourth Year Griffindores and Slytherins sat in Charms. Nickolas was sitting in the front row, struggling to concentrate on Professor Flitwick while Malfoy and Harry sat on either side of him, competing with each other for his attention. Ron put his hand up about half way through the lesson to ask to go to the bathroom. Shouting at a rock for half an hour was thirsty work, and he needed a drink.

When Ron opened the bathroom door, he was surprised to see Nickolas watching him from the sinks. Ron hadn't noticed him leave. Nickolas seemed to relax when he realised it wasn't one of his tormenters, and turned around, gripping the sinks so hard his knuckles turned white.

'You ok?' Ron asked, walking over to the sinks to get a drink.

Nickolas sighed. 'Just sick of people constantly trying to talk to me.'

'Oh,' said Ron. 'I can go, if you want?'

Nickolas looked up, surprised. 'Really?' he asked.

'Really what?'

'Go, if I asked.'

'Yeah,' said Ron. 'You shouldn't have to talk if you don't want to. Do you want me to go?'

'No,' said Nickolas. 'You're different from the everyone else. You actually care about what I want.'

'Don't they?' Ron asked.

'No,' Nickolas scoffed. 'I've dropped blunter hints then that and they still won't leave me alone. Dumbledore's no better. He's always talking to me, asking me how class is and if I'm making friends. He's starting to get really worried. I've only got a week left. If I haven't made a friend by then, he'll probably pressure me into just picking one, rather than lose me.'

'Is that why you've started coming to every class?' Ron said.

'Yeah,' groaned Nickolas. 'And it's doing my head in. People everywhere, just taking, talking, talking. I haven't had a proper discussion like this since before that first banquet. It's a nightmare.'

'That sucks,' said Ron. Nickolas nodded. They stood in silence for a few minutes, thinking. Then Ron had an idea.

'Hey,' he said. Nickolas looked up. 'If you want a bit of peace, maybe we could go down to Hagrid's hut. I'm sure he'd leave us alone if you wanted, and he doesn't really talk that much anyway. And what he does say is mostly about mythical creatures, which you seem to like anyway. No one would think of looking for you there. Just if you wanted to.'

Nickolas grinned. 'That'd be great,' he said. Then his smile faltered. 'How do we get out without anyone noticing? Class is about to change over.'

Ron shrugged. 'We'll just have to wait till partway through the next one. There's plenty of the day left yet. Where were you planning to go next?'

'I don't know. Draco wants me to go to Transfiguration with him. I don't know what Harry's got next, but he probably wants me to go with him too.'

Ron grinned. 'Don't worry, he's got Transfiguration next too, which makes things easier. In fact, if you go back to Charms now, I'll run ahead and tell McGonagall what we're doing. She's head of Gryffindor, so she should agree.

Nickolas nodded. 'Sounds like a plan. I'll head back to class. Meet you in Transfiguration.'

'Yep,' said Ron, heading towards the door. He opened it, looked around, turned left and went pelting down the corridor.

. . .

Ron arrived at the Transfiguration classroom out of breath to find Professor McGonagall setting up for their class. He knocked on the door.

'Come in,' she called, turning to face him. If she was surprised to see one of her students gasping for air at the door ten minutes before class was due to start, she didn't show it. 'Can I help you, Mr Weasley?'

'Uh…' said Ron, sucking in air. 'I got talking with Nickolas, and he really wants some peace and quiet, so…' He paused to take a few more breaths. 'So, I suggested we sneak down to Hagrid's hut, 'cause no one would think to look for him there, but we need to get down without anyone busting us, so, um, could you maybe find some excuse for us to leave the classroom? Please?'

Professor McGonagall smiled. 'That's quite an achievement, Ron. Especially considering how little you've talked to him. I'll—'

'You've been watching?' Ron interrupted.

'Of course,' said McGonagall. 'There's quite a bit of competition between the different heads of house. We're all watching. Now, I'll send you with a message for Dumbledore. Nickolas can deliver it later.'

'Thanks,' said Ron, grinning with relief.

McGonagall smiled back. 'Now, why don't you help me set up while we wait for the rest of the class?'

. . .

When the other students arrived, they were surprised to see Ron already seated, albeit with none of his stuff. Hermione walked over and dumped Ron's ink, quills and parchment on his desk.

'Where've you been?' Hermione asked, sitting down next to him.

Ron grinned. 'You'll see,' he said, just as Nickolas walked into the classroom, surrounded by people. He looked over at Ron, who smiled and nodded back. Nickolas relaxed and allowed himself to be led to a seat. Hermione looked from Ron to Nickolas and back again.

'How?' she asked.

'I went to the bathroom to get a drink about halfway through the last lesson. He seemed shocked that I actually cared about his feelings, and I offered to take him to Hagrid's hut for some peace and quiet. I ran here to talk to McGonagall, and she agreed to help. We should be leaving soon.'

Hermione smiled. 'Well done,' she said.

Ron shrugged, ears turning red. 'I couldn't have done it without you,' he said. 'If you hadn't stopped me, I would have stuffed it all up on day one.' Then he grinned. 'Harry is gonna be so pissed off,' he said. 'You were right, as usual.'

Hermione blushed. 'It was nothing,' she said. 'Just some common sense.'

'Not so common judging by the amount of people Nickolas has been surrounded by,' Ron said.

Hermione went to reply, but just as she opened her mouth, Professor McGonagall stood up, ready to start the lesson.

'Before we begin,' she said, picking the note she'd been writing up from her desk, 'Mr Hewitt, I'll need you to deliver this note to Professor Dumbledore. Mr Weasley, why don't you go with him?' Harry and Malfoy glared daggers at Ron as Nickolas collected the note from Professor McGonagall. They walked out together, and as soon the door was shut behind them, Nickolas punched the air.

'Yes!' he said, excited. 'Free at last.'

Ron grinned. 'So, do you want to head down to Hagrid's?' he asked.

'Actually,' said Nickolas, 'I was thinking, would you like to come to my room? It's closer than Hagrid's hut, and anyway, mightn't Hagrid have a class now?'

Ron nodded, his grin fading a bit when he realized that yes, Hagrid could very easily have a class now. 'Sure,' he said. 'Where is your room?'

Nickolas smiled a big, genuine smile. 'You'll see,' he said, leading the way through the castle.


	6. Sundavar

AN: Credit to Christopher Paolini for most of the dragon stuff in this story, as well as the mysterious language I use, which is the Ancient Language from his Inheritance Cycle.

**6 – Sundavar**

Ron and Nickolas walked through the corridors, occasionally passing another student.

Ron asked where they were going a couple of times, but Nickolas wouldn't answer, so he gave up. Eventually Nickolas came to a stop in front of the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office.

'Your room's _here_?' asked Ron, surprised. It's the last place he would have expected. Though, when he actually thought about it, he had no idea where he would have expected.

Nickolas nodded. 'Dumbledore extended his office,' he said. 'I think he's decided it's the easiest way to keep tabs on me.' He turned to the gargoyle and said something in a language Ron didn't understand.

'Isn't the password normally some kind of lolly?' Ron asked as the gargoyle began to rotate.

'Yeah, I think it used to be,' said Nickolas, stepping onto the staircase. 'But Dumbledore thought it'd be a good idea to tighten security. He hasn't even told all the teachers the password.'

'Doesn't he trust them?' said Ron, jointing him on the stairs.

'That's not really the reason,' said Nickolas. 'I think it's more that he wants to limit access to me - stop teachers influencing me and that sort of thing. It'll probably settle down once I pick a house.' The staircase rotated upwards, taking the two boys with it. 'Plus,' Nickolas continued, 'I think it's also partly he doesn't want all the teachers knowing what I can do in case it somehow gets out and someone finds out about me who shouldn't. I don't really know for sure. Dumbledore won't tell me much. He probably thinks I'll tell the whole school or something.' Nickolas stopped talking as the stairs ground to a halt. 'Come on,' he said, opening the door.

Nickolas stepped into the office. Dumbledore looked up from his desk, then at the clock. 'Why are you here?' he asked, obviously not very pleased to see him before the end of school.

Nickolas grinned. 'I'm showing Ron my room,' he said, stepping aside so that Ron could enter.

Dumbledore smiled, his mood changing instantly as he surveyed Ron through his half moon spectacles. 'Sundavar?' he asked.

'Yes,' said Nickolas. 'Probably.'

Ron frowned at the unfamiliar word.

'Very well,' said Dumbledore. 'Down you go.' He looked back at whatever he'd been writing on his desk, looking unconcerned, but Ron though he seemed pleased.

'Oh yeah,' said Nickolas, pulling McGonagall's note out of his pocket. 'Professor McGonagall told me to give this to you.' He put the note on Dumbledore's desk.

'Thank you,' said the Headmaster.

Nickolas headed to one of the few sections of the wall not covered with books. This part of the stone wall had a dragon head sticking out of it. Nickolas said something to it in the strange language. The dragon nodded, and the section of the wall swung forward, revealing a stone staircase that curled downwards to the right. It seemed to lead to directly below Dumbledore's office. Nickolas led the way down, opening the heavy wooden door at the bottom. Ron looked around. They were standing at one end of a corridor. At the other end, opposite the door was a fireplace partly set into the stone wall. There were a couple of armchairs in front of the unlit fire. Two windows came from the roof down to about waist height on either side of the fireplace. There were two doors on the right, and three on the left. Set at regular intervals along the walls were brackets for torches.

Nickolas pointed at the three doors on the left. 'The first one's my study,' he said. 'The second one's a kitchen cross dining room where I can eat if I don't want to go to the Great Hall. The third one's the bathroom.' Then he gestured to the doors on the right. 'The first one's my bedroom. The second one's Sundavar's.'

Ron looked at him. 'What? Who?'

'Sun-da-var,' Nickolas said, drawing it out. 'Hang on a sec. I'll show you.' He walked over to the second room, opened the door and went inside. He came back out a few seconds later holding something black. Ron looked at the black thing. It had four legs. Each foot had five sharp, white talons. It had a long black tail, and a row of spines running down its back. There were two dark grey horns on top of its head. It had blue, forward-facing eyes, a muzzle full of sharp teeth and it was covered in scales. Ron looked at it, trying to put it together. Then something in his head clicked. 'Norbert,' he said, backing away several paces.

Now it was Nickolas's turn to look completely confused. 'What?' he said. 'This is Sundavar. Who's Norbert?'

'A dragon I had a bad experience with,' said Ron. 'How do you even…?' He gestured wordlessly at the dragon. 'How is that even allowed?'

'Don't worry,' said Nickolas. 'He won't hurt you.' He put Sundavar on the floor. The dragon looked at Ron with intelligent, electric-blue eyes. It took a couple of steps towards him and sniffed. Now that the dragon was at full stretch Ron could see that it was about three feet long from nose to tail tip. It stepped forward again. Ron took several steps backwards and his back hit the door.

'It's OK,' said Nickolas, picking up Sundavar and pulling him backwards. 'He just wants to know who you are.' Nickolas looked up at Ron, puzzled. 'How did you come into contact with a dragon? What did it do to you to make you so afraid?'

'Hagrid,' said Ron. 'It was in First Year. Hagrid hatched a dragon called Norbert, and it bit me. My hand turned green and swelled up. I had to tell Madam Pomfrey that a dog bit me, but I don't think she believed me. Also, my brother Charlie works in Romania with dragons, and he's told me some pretty awful stories.' Ron took his eyes off the dragon and looked at Nickolas. He did a double take. Nickolas eyes were the same electric blue as the dragon's, instead of the much darker blue they'd been before.

'Ah,' said Nickolas, nodding. 'I understand. Don't worry though. Sundavar's completely under control.'

Ron tried to force himself to relax. 'What breed is it?' he asked.

'Not one you'd know,' said Nickolas. 'He's a very rare breed - almost a different species to the dragons you'd know, which is how I know he's not going to chuck a spazz and attack us. He's a Skulblaka.'

Ron nodded. Charlie had told him about all the most dangerous breeds of dragons, and he'd never heard of this one. 'What's happened to your eyes?' he said.

'They should be this colour most of the time,' said Nickolas. 'It means that I'm bonded with Sundavar.'

'Bonded?' asked Ron.

'It's hard to explain,' said Nickolas. 'Sundavar and I have a mental link, and when we're connected properly, my eyes match his, and we can communicate with our minds.'

Ron tried to follow him. 'So, are you controlling him or something?'

Nickolas shook his head. 'No. We're two separate beings. Skulblaka are different from other dragons. They're intelligent, so they understand what's going on around them nd they can't alk to the person that they're bonded with through the mental link.'

'Is he talking to you right now?'

'No. He's just listening to us talk. Also, he's young and his language hasn't developed properly yet. At this age, if he wants to tell me something, he sends me an image or a feeling to convey it.'

'Oh,' said Ron, struggling to take it all in. 'How old is he?'

'About two months,' said Nickolas. 'He'd only been hatched about a month when Dumbledore found me and convinced me to come to Hogwarts. Normally Sundavar'd come everywhere with me, and we'd be linked all the time, but Dumbledore won't let me carry him around the school.'

'OK,' said Ron. 'Do you have to be really close to have a proper bond?'

'No. The radius is a few kilometres, but Dumbledore put a spell over the school that dampens my magic. I think he's afraid I'll lose it and lash out at someone. The problem is, it also blocks most of my connection with Sundavar. We can still read each others basic emotion, like if we're hurt or safe, but we can't connect properly. It's really annoying, and probably the reason Sundavar can't speak very well.'

Ron was still grappling with the concept of speaking though minds. Nickolas looked at Ron, concerned, and tried to think of something to distract him.

'Hey,' he said. Ron's eyes focused on him. 'Do you know why I called him Sundavar?'

Ron shook his head.

Nickolas grinned. 'It means "Shadows",' he said. 'Look.' He picked Sundavar up and carried him over to the afternoon sunlight that was streaming though the windows. He put Sundavar down in the sunlight. Ron stared. Most of Sundavar's head, his paws and sections of his body stayed black. The rest of him didn't. The sun traced blue all around his body. Groups of scales ranged rom midnight blue to the mid blue of sunlight on water. Ron looked closer. Each slightly different shade of blue was a stripe of scales. Each stripe started at the top of Sundavar's head, around the base of his horns. From there they ran down his neck and along his back and undersides and along his tail. Some of the stripes branches and twined around his legs. Shot through among all the different shades of blue were stripes of his original black. Sundavar blinked at Ron, then moved. Ron gasped. When Sundavar moved, the sunlight hit his scales at slightly different angles, which caused the stripes to change colour. The overall effect was the different blues rippling over the black, coming to rest at a different place. Sundavar kept moving, and Ron understood the name. When Sundavar moved in sunlight, it looked like his body was covered in blue writhing, flickering shadows. The effect was amazing. It was hard to figure out which part of the dragon was which. It looked like the shadows were surrounding him, not part of him. Sundavar stopped, and the shadows settled. Then Nickolas moved Sundavar's head around so that it faced the sun and beckoned Ron around to look. On the little dragon's forehead, above his eyes but below his horns, was a blue diamond the same electric blue colour as his eyes.

'Wow,' said Ron. 'That's… that's really cool.'

Nickolas grinned. 'I know right?' He picked up the dragon. 'Here, do you want to hold him?'

Ron looked nervous. 'You're _sure_ he won't bite me?'

'He's smart,' said Nickolas. 'He's not your normal dumb dragon. In human terms, he's at the same level as a little kid who's learning to talk. Physically, he's much further ahead, but he's got the same awareness. He's not going to bit you.' Nickolas grinned. 'And if he does, it's like being bitten by a dog. He doesn't have any venom, so apart from a few punctures, you'll be fine.'

Ron really didn't find that very reassuring, but he agreed to hold the dragon anyway. Nickolas passed him over. He was heavy, but not as heavy as Ron expected. The little dragon turned to look at Ron, sniffed him a few times, and decided that he wasn't a threat. He settled down in Ron's arms. Nickolas reached over and scratched him behind the horns. Ron held him until he started to get heavy, then passed him back to Nickolas. The dragon settled across Nickolas's shoulders, head and front paws resting on his right shoulder, his body curling round the back of his neck, and his back paws resting on his left shoulder. His tail hung down Nickolas's left side.

'Scratch him behind his horns,' said Nickolas. 'He likes that.'

Ron obliged, and Sundavar's body seemed to relax completely.

Ron glanced down at his watch, and realised Transfiguration would be over soon. 'I'd better go to my next class,' he said. 'Some of the other teachers aren't as helpful as McGonagall, and I don't want to get in trouble. Are you coming?'

Nickolas shook his head. 'I think I'll stay here and relax for a bit. Dumbledore should finally get off my case, at least for today. Thanks for this. It's been fun.' Nickolas paused. He seemed unsure. 'Listen… I have to walk Sundavar at night when there's no one around. Would… would you like to come?'

Ron grinned. 'Sounds like fun.'

Nickolas grinned back, looking relieved. 'Cool. Do you have a broomstick?'

'I know how fly, and I can get one.'

'Great. Bring it. I'll tell you where and when to meet me at dinner.'

Ron nodded, and turned to leave. 'See you later, Nickolas,' he said, heading up the stairs.

'Bye, Ron. And call me Nicko.'


	7. A Walk in the Dark

**7 – A Walk in the Dark**

Ron looked at his watch. It was 10 o'clock. Time to meet Nickolas. Outside, the sky was dark. Ron glanced around the common room. There were still a few people working. Harry and Hermione were sitting next to him, bent over their homework. Ron started packing his stuff up.

'You're not done,' said Harry. 'Where are you going?'

'I've got a meeting,' said Ron.

'This is to do with Nickolas, isn't it?' Hermione said suspiciously. At dinner, Nickolas had visited the Gryffindor table to tell Ron to meet him outside Dumbledore's office at 9, then disappeared, much to the annoyance of Malfoy and Harry.

'Yeah,' said Ron. He carried his stuff upstairs, grabbed the broomstick Fred had leant him and headed back down.

'Why do you have a broomstick?' asked Harry.

'No idea,' said Ron. 'He just told me to bring one.'

'Where are you going?' said Hermione.

'Don't know that either,' said Ron. He turned to Harry. 'Look, mate, I know this must be annoying you, but don't follow me, OK?'

Harry did his best to look insulted. Ron guessed he'd been planning to do exactly that.

'Harry, I'm meeting him outside Dumbledore's office. If Dumbledore catches you, you'll be in serious trouble, and if Nickolas catches you you've got no chance of becoming his friend. Let me hang out with him by myself, and hopefully I'll be able to get all four of us together without Malfoy around, alright?'

'Fine,' said Harry. 'Go enjoy your nighttime stroll.'

Ron shrugged and left, hoping he wouldn't run into any teachers on the way. He wasn't sure how he'd explain wandering around the castle carrying a broomstick at this hour of the night.

. . .

Nickolas, and to Ron's surprise, Dumbledore, were waiting outside his office. Ron prayed that Hermione had kept Harry in the common room. Nickolas had Sundavar draped over his shoulders. He grinned when he saw Ron.

'Let's go,' he said, and the three of them set off through the castle.

. . .

It wasn't long before they passed through the Entrance Hall and out onto the front lawn. Nickolas unwrapped Sundavar from his shoulder and put him on the ground. The little dragon ran off as fast as his little legs could carry him, a patch of darker shadow in the night. The three of them followed him towards the Quidditch pitch.

When they were a good distance from the school Nickolas looked at Dumbledore and raised his eyebrows. Dumbledore nodded. Nickolas turned back to Ron.

'Ron,' he said. Ron looked up, surprised by how serious he sounded. 'I need to tell you about my magic,' said Nickolas.

'Alright,' said Ron, trying not to show his curiosity too much.

'I'm a shapeshifter,' said Nickolas.

Ron nodded. 'Alright,' he said again. 'I don't really know anything about shapeshifting, so I'm not entirely sure what I'm dealing with.'

'Every time I see a new species, a new animal appears in my head,' said Nickolas. 'I can shift into any animal I've seen. Well, one from each species.'

'So could you shift into me?' asked Ron.

'No. My brothers could, but like I said, one animal from each species, so this is my human form.' Ron looked up at the mention of brothers, but Nickolas kept going. 'I can do different ages, but it's still me. Then if I wanted to turn into say, a dingo, well there's heaps of different dingos - black, white, yellow, black and tan, but I can only turn into one specific yellow dingo, and that's it.'

Ron pulled in a deep breath. 'OK.'

'Don't tell anyone yet, alright?' said Nickolas.

'Sure,' said Ron, giving a shaky smile. 'I doubt anyone'd believe me anyway.' He thought for a minute. 'McGonagall—' He stopped, glanced at Dumbledore, and started again. 'Professor McGonagall said we weren't to annoy you because any retaliation would be without warning. That's pretty cool magic and all, but I don't really see how there's no warning.'

Nickolas smiled. 'I'd guess she probably meant that you wouldn't have time to react properly. Could you imagine arguing with someone, expecting them to go for their wand or jump at you, and suddenly instead of facing a teenage boy you were facing a silverback gorilla? It's quite a shock to recover from.'

Ron nodded. 'Fair enough.' He tried to think of something else to say, but they arrived at the Quidditch pitch and for some reason Nickolas started taking his shirt off.

'What are you doing?' asked Ron.

Nickolas dropped his t-shirt on the ground and sat down to remove his shoes. 'Sundavar needs more than a run around,' he said. 'He needs to fly, to get his wing muscles strong, and I don't like him up in the air by himself. That's why you've got a broomstick. We're both going up with him to give him some exercise.'

'You don't have a broomstick,' Ron pointed out.

Nickolas stood up, barefoot and shirtless. 'True,' he said. 'I don't know how to ride one. Luckily, I've got my own way to fly.' His body seemed to flicker, and a pair of large black wings appeared on his back.

Ron started, then stared.

'It's easier to land in bare feet,' said Nickolas. 'And I don't like ruining my shirts.' With that he ran forward, bringing his wings together at full stretch above his head. He jumped, pushing off the ground as hard as he could, and his wings came down, lifting him into the air. He flapped again and whistled. 'Come on, Sundavar,' he called. Ron saw a small black shadow separate itself from the ground and follow Nickolas into the sky.

'Go on, Ron,' said Dumbledore. 'You don't want to keep them waiting.'

Ron dragged his eyes away from Nickolas and Sundavar and mounted his broomstick. He kicked off and flew after them.

In the air, Nickolas pulled a tennis ball out of his pocket. 'Hey, Ron,' he called. 'Catch.' He threw the tennis ball. Ron grabbed it out of the air a split second before a small black torpedo barrelled into him.

'Chuck it back,' called Nickolas. Ron threw it, and Sundavar went racing off after it. Nickolas caught it and went pelting away as fast as his wings could carry him. Just before the little dragon caught up, he turned and threw it back to Ron. Ron grabbed it and shot towards the hoops at the far end of the pitch. When he sensed the little dragon behind him he spun and threw it as hard as he could at Nickolas, who had to dive for it. He went racing along the ground, dodging the dragon. Ron bent over his broomstick and raced after the two of them.

The three of them kept up their game for the best part of an hour. By the time they'd finished both the boys were coated in sweat, and even Sundavar seemed to be slowing down.

Once they were back on the ground, Nickolas turned to Ron, grinning. 'Thanks for coming,' he said. 'It's a lot harder to wear him out when it's just me.'

Ron grinned back. 'No worries,' he said. 'Playing keep-away with a dragon is the best thing I've done in ages.'

Sundavar draped himself over Nickolas's shoulders, and the two of them followed Dumbledore back to the school, smiling and laughing together.


	8. The Story

**8 – The Story**

Over the next few days, Ron and Nicko became fast friends. People still bugged Nicko a lot, but some people just gave up, plus the pair of them were constantly skipping classes to get some time apart. Every night they walked Sundavar. Dumbledore still came with them ever night, but he never flew. He just stood on the ground, watching. Ron introduced Nicko to Harry and Hermione properly. As the end of the week approached, Ron hoped Nicko wouldn't have to leave.

. . .

Ron stepped into Nicko's room. The previous day Nicko had told him the two passwords, coaching him through the pronunciation of the strange words. Ron walked down the corridor and knocked on Nicko's bedroom door.

'Come in,' came Nicko's voice. Ron pushed the door open nervously. He'd just introduced Nicko to Fred and George. Nicko had said a brief hello then disappeared. Ron hoped he hadn't done something wrong.

Inside, he saw Nicko sitting on his bed with Sundavar curled up in his lap holding a small, black wooden box. The box was glowing gently, and for a split second Ron thought he heard boys laughing. Nicko snapped the box shut.

'Hey, Ron,' he said.

'Hey, Nicko,' said Ron. 'Are you OK?'

'I'm fine,' said Nicko. 'Meeting your brothers, and seeing how close you all were reminded me of my brothers, and how much I miss them.'

'What's the box?'

'It's a magic box. It's designed to keep me sane if I ever get imprisoned or anything. Basically, it's just full of good memories.'

'The laughter?'

'My brothers, when we were growing up.'

'Where are they?'

'I don't know.' Nicko shrugged. 'They could be anywhere. In fact, I don't even know _when_ they are.'

Ron frowned, confused. 'What?'

'It's kind of complicated,' said Nicko. 'Kind of really complicated.' Nicko slid over and gestured to the other half of the bed. 'Sit down, Ron. I have a story to tell you.'

. . .

A long time ago, and not too far from here there lived a wizard. The wizard roamed the world, looking for untouched places where he might learn more about the nature of magic. One day when he was travelling deep in the mountains, he found a dragon. The dragon was one of the last Skulblaka in the world, and she asked the wizard for his help saving her species. You see, there's a reason Skulblaka are so rare. A Skulblaka egg will only hatch for the right person at the right time, so if the person is born and dies a hundred years before the dragon egg is due to hatch, then the dragon will stay in its egg for eternity. Skulblaka were more common millennia before this wizard lived, when pure magic was common throughout the world, but in the wizard's time there were only small pockets of it in the wildest places on Earth, and there were less than a handful of Skulblaka left.

Anyway, this Skulblaka had three eggs, and she was determined that they would hatch. She gave them into the wizard's care, and told him that somewhere to the west there were three boys, brothers, who would bond with the dragons when their time came to hatch, and made him swear to make sure the boys lived long enough for this to happen. The wizard gave her his word and set out west.

On the way, in what is currently Belgium, he met a wizard's apprentice. The apprentice's master had just died, and had left the apprentice with three magical objects, and instructions to find the rightful owners of the items. The wizard had told his apprentice that they would be brothers, and that they lived to the west.

The wizard convinced the apprentice to show him the magical objects. There was a small black box, and green hand-and-a-half sword and a red bouncy ball on a string.

_A what? Ron interrupted._

_You heard me._

The wizard showed the apprentice his dragon eggs. One was black, one was green and one was red. They decided that the rightful owners of the magical objects must also be the boys who would bond with the dragon eggs, so they continued west together. As they travelled the wizard taught the apprentice much about magic, and so the apprentice became a wizard in his own right.

After walking a long way and searching all over Europe for two long years, the two wizards came to the sea. The younger wizard was ready to give up. He told the older wizard that they'd come as far west as the could, and that there was nowhere else the boys could be, but the older wizard didn't believe him. Across the water he could see another land, so the pair of them summoned dolphins to bear them across the water.

They arrived in what is now England and began their search refreshed. Before long they found another wizard, who asked about their quest. The older wizard told them of the eggs and the magical items and their search for three boys. The wizard nodded, then told them of three brothers he had recently found who had been born in one of those rare places of pure magic, and who therefore possessed strange magic that did not require training or a wand. The youngest was just two and half years old, and the wizard carrying the dragon eggs realised that he must have been a newborn when the Skulblaka sent him on the quest, so the three wizards set off together.

They found the boys and presented them with the eggs. The oldest boy took the black egg, and as he touched it blue lines appeared, criss-crossing its surface. The middle child took the dark green egg, and bright green lines appeared. The youngest took the red egg, and the lines that appeared were orange. The wizards knew then that they had found the brothers they were searching for, so they convinced their parents to let them leave with the wizards so that they could be trained to care for the Skulblaka when they eventually hatched.

The three wizards and the three children left and travelled into the hills. The wizards trained and taught the children, and when the oldest of them was fourteen, the wizards realised that he had learnt everything he could, so they gave him his magical item, a small black box, and they froze him in a block of ice, casting spells on it so that it wouldn't melt until the dragon egg was ready to hatch, telling him that they would do the same to his brothers when they were ready.

So the boy slumbered in the ice for many hundreds of years, and when the egg was finally ready to hatch he awoke in a new world, ready to train and care for the Skulblaka in his care.

. . .

Nicko stopped talking and looked down at the box in his hands and the dragon in his lap.

'Wow,' said Ron. 'I… I don't really know what to say.'

Nicko looked up at him and smiled. 'I'm getting used to it. Now you know why I don't know where my brothers are. For all I know, they could have lived and died hundreds of years ago, or they could still be frozen in a block of ice somewhere.'

'What were their names?' asked Ron.

'Roverandom and Jaxon,' said Nicko. 'Jaxon was the youngest.'

'Interesting names.'

Nicko shrugged. 'We named each other. I'm sure our parents gave us names, but the wizards wouldn't let us use them. I was five when we left, so I should remember what they called me, but I don't.' He looked down at the box, turning it over and over in his hands. 'They called me Nick because I was good at nicking things. The other two weren't quiet or patient enough, but I was good at it. Roverandom got his name because he could shift into so many different things, so he was always roving between bodies. Jaxon started as Jackass because he was always doing stupid things without thinking them through. He was round the bend, but the wizards didn't like us calling him that, so we changed it to Jaxon.'

'What's magic about your box?'

'Like I said, it stores good memories. Our items all fitted our personalities. Jaxon was too restless to sit still for long, so he got a ball that would knock out anyone it touched so that he could never be captured. Roverandom was somewhere between Jaxon and me. He could stay still, but not for long, so he got a sword that could cut through anything without being damaged so that he could never be kept imprisoned. I was the calmest of the three of us, so I got a box of memories so that my spirit could never be broken.'

Ron nodded. 'Can I see your brothers?'

Nicko opened the box and showed it to Ron. 'From left to right it's me, then Rover, then Jax,' he said.

Ron looked at the image shimmering on the bottom of the box. The three boys looked very similar. They had the same faces, and the same brown hair, though Nicko's was combed and flat, Roverandom's stuck up at the back like Harry's and Jaxon's looked like an electrocuted porcupine. The main difference was their eyes. Nicko's were dark blue, Roverandom's were dark green and Jaxon's were yellow, which freaked Ron out a bit.

Nicko shut the box and tucked it into his pocket. 'Let's go see your brothers,' he said. 'They remind me a bit of Jax and Rover - always ready to do something completely mad.'

Ron grinned. 'That's them.'

They got up and left. 'You know what I think the lesson of that story is?' said Nicko as the climbed the staircase up to Dumbledore's office.

'What?' said Ron.

'I, Nickolas Hewitt, am the product of the biggest fluke in existence.'

Ron shrugged. 'Hard to argue with, but you're here, and that's what really matters.'

Nicko stopped at the top of the staircase. 'Ron, if I haven't picked a house by tomorrow, I'll have to leave.'

'Oh,' said Ron, feeling like he'd been kicked in the stomach. 'Have… have you picked a house?'

'Yep,' said Nicko. 'I want to join you in Gryffindor.'

They grinned at each other, and stepped into Dumbledore's office.


	9. Facing the Dragons

AN: I have decided that there is very little I would change in the lead up to the Tri Wizard Tournament, so basically before this next chapter everything happens pretty much the same as in the books – the other schools come; Fleur, Viktor, Cedric and Harry are selected; Hagrid tells Harry about the dragons; and Harry tells Cedric. The only significant change is that Harry and Ron don't fight.

So, Nicko becomes good friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione, and this next chapter is set on the day the champions have to face the dragons. At this point, Ron is still the only student who knows anything about Nicko's magic.

Also, I probably won't be posting a new chapter for a while, partly because I'm not sure where this is going, and partly because I'm going on camp without wifi for two weeks.

Editing was because I switched dragon names halfway through. My bad.

**9 – Facing the Dragons**

Nicko, Ron and Hermione sat in the stands, watching Harry hiding from a furious Hungarian Horntail. The other three champions had survived relatively unscathed, but Harry was the youngest and facing the most vicious dragon. Hermione was gripping Ron's knee so tightly her knuckles had turned white. Ron patted her shoulder.

'He'll be fine,' he told her. 'A Hungarian Horntail isn't exactly You-Know-Who.'

'It's a pretty angry Hungarian Horntail, though,' said Nicko. 'I've never met anything more vicious than a mother dragon guarding her eggs.'

Hermione's grip tightened and Ron winced. He scowled at Nicko. 'Yeah, really helpful, mate.'

Nicko shrugged. 'I've never met You-Know-Who though.'

They watched Harry duck behind a rock as the dragon released another withering blast of fire.

'Come on, Harry,' Hermione muttered. 'Do something.'

Harry dived behind another rock, raised his wand, but before he could do anything the dragon interrupted, forcing him to leap for another rock and out of their sight.

Nicko cocked his head. 'What's that?'

'What's what?' said Ron.

'The dragons. The ones that have already faced champions. Something's happening at their cage.'

The three of them looked over the far edge of the stand, towards the forest. They could see the cage, but it was too far away to see if anything was happening. Ron realised that their roaring had decreased in volume. He could now barely hear it over the Hungarian Horntail, but apart from that nothing seemed to have changed.

'Are you sure?' asked Hermione.

Nicko turned to her. 'Imagine you're in a bar. At one table there are these three massive, beefy guys yelling threats and abuse at everyone they can see, non-stop, for an hour. Then suddenly, they make a polite enquiry about the health of someone's grandmother.' He pointed at the cage. 'That's the equivalent of what's happening over there.'

'Can you actually understand them?' said Hermione. 'Or is that just what it sound like?'

'I can understand them,' Nicko said. 'But animals don't talk the way we do.' His brow furrowed as he concentrated. 'They're curious. There's a person there. Someone they haven't seen before.' He paused, listening. 'No, three people. Three people they've never seen before are approaching their cage.'

Ron poked Neville, who was sitting in front of them watching Harry through binoculars. Neville turned round.

'Can I borrow those?' Ron asked, gesturing to the binoculars.

'I guess so,' said Neville. 'But give them back. I'm worried about Harry too.'

Ron grabbed Neville's binoculars and aimed them at the cage. 'There's three people there, all right,' he said. 'They're in uniform, so they're students. It's too far away to see much more.'

'What are they doing?' asked Hermione.

'They're fiddling with the lock,' said Nicko, still listening intently. His eyes went wide. 'They're letting the dragons out. They're releasing three angry, blood thirsty dragons within sight of a stadium full of students.'

'Dumbledore'll stop them,' said Hermione, but she didn't sound to sure.

'Eventually,' said Nicko, 'but normally when you're trying to contain a dragon, you have a group of skilled wizards surround it.' He gestured behind them, where the teachers were sitting. 'All the skilled wizards are on the wrong side of the stadium. They'll bring the dragons down eventually, but before they do, several people are going to get eaten. A surprise dragon attack on hundreds of unprepared students.' He shook his head. 'It'll be slaughter.'

'What do we do?' asked Ron.

Nicko looked towards the opposite rim of the stadium, and then at the benches below them, judging distances. 'Clear me a path,' he said. 'Get everyone in the next ten rows or so to move aside enough for me to run down. Then tell everyone in the bottom row and the rows below there to duck as low as they can.'

'What're you going to do?' said Ron, standing up.

Nicko began taking his shows off. 'Something insanely stupid and probably suicidal. Now MOVE!'

Ron and Hermione nodded and began talking to the row below. Nicko pulled his t-shirt off and stood. People were moving aside, but not fast enough. 'Come on,' he muttered. 'Move it.' Someone gripped his arm from behind and he turned to see Dumbledore.

'Nickolas,' he said seriously, 'you can't help Harry. I know he's your friend, but stay put.'

Nicko shook his head. 'Harry's probably fine, and currently not my problem,' he said. 'Someone's releasing the other dragons. If they reach the stadium, there'll be a bloodbath.'

'Let the teachers deal with it,' said Dumbledore, though he looked concerned.

'Sir, you're all on the wrong side of the stadium. It'll be too late.'

'What are you going to do?'

'I don't know. Try and talk them out of it. Worst case scenario, I'll insult their mothers and hope they chase me instead of going after the students.' He grinned nervously.

'If you're sure…' said Dumbledore.

'I'm sure,' said Nicko. 'And we're running out of time. Could you help Ron and Hermione clear me a runway? And make sure everyone near the bottom has ducked?'

Dumbledore nodded and strode down the benches. People got out of the way very quickly at a word from the Headmaster.

Nicko looked at the cleared path and pulled in a deep breath. He concentrated, and wings appeared on his back. Luckily Dumbledore's spell dampening his magic wasn't so strong this far away from the school. He brought his wings up so that they were pressed together above his head, and ran down the space cleared for him. When he got to the last clear bench he jumped, putting everything he had into the leap, and brought his wings down when he was at the highest point. He hoped he hadn't clipped anyone over the head, but some minor bruising wasn't his biggest concern right then.

He flew over the arena. He looked towards the cage and realised that Malfoy had managed to open the cage door. The dragons were approaching fast. Nicko landed on the far edge of the stadium, beating the dragons there by several hundred metres, and, with his wings spread against the sky, he ROARED. Considering the skinny teenage body it was coming out of, the volume was unbelievable. Nicko stood before the oncoming dragons and roared whatever came into his head.

'DANGER!' his roaring said. 'DANGER! DEATH! FEAR! HURT! DANGER! PAIN! RUN! DANGER!'

The dragons paused at the edge of the stadium, examining this strange-looking dragon.

'Food,' said the Chinese Fireball.

Nicko shook his head and flared his wings. 'Danger,' he repeated. 'Danger and death. Can't you hear your sister?'

The dragons cocked their heads, listening to the anguished roars of the Hungarian Horntail. 'Rescue?' said the Common Welsh Green, which surprised Nicko. Skulblaka were normally the only dragons to have a sense of connection to other breeds and species, but here was a Common Welsh Green offering to rescue a Hungarian Horntail.

'No,' said Nicko. 'Her, pain only. You, death. I'll take you to a safe place.'

The dragons agreed, so Nicko took off and led them into the Forbidden Forest. He found a clearing big enough for the four of them to land in and led the way to the ground.

'The wizards fear you,' said Nicko, once they were all settled. 'You must return to the cage, or they'll hurt you and maybe kill you.'

'Don't like the cage,' said the Swedish Short-Snout. 'Small.'

'Bad food,' agreed the Chinese Fireball.

'You can't leave,' said Nicko. 'They will hunt you. Pain. Death. You have to go back.'

'Bad cage,' said the Common Welsh Green.

'OK,' said Nicko. 'What if you had a bigger cage and better food? Would you go back then?'

'And more food?' said the Chinese Fireball hopefully. 'More and better?'

'Yes,' said Nicko. 'If you go back now, I'll get you a bigger cage and lots of better food. Alright?'

'Visit?' said the Common Welsh Green.

'Sure,' said Nicko. 'I'll visit you. I can even bring a friend.'

'And food?' said the Chinese Fireball.

Nicko laughed, which for dragons' was a violent snort. 'Yes, and food.'

'Bigger cage now?' said the Swedish Short-Snout.

'Not now,' said Nicko. 'Wizards are busy now. But soon.'

'OK,' said the Swedish Short-Snout. 'If soon, then OK.'

'Very soon,' promised Nicko.

'Me too,' said the Chinese Fireball. 'For food.'

'Lots of food,' said Nicko.

The Common Welsh Green wriggled forward so that his head was right next to Nicko's right knee. 'Me too,' it said. 'If you visit.'

'I'll visit,' said Nicko. He placed his hand on the Common Welsh Green's head, and it made a noise that was the dragon equivalent of a purr. 'I'll visit tonight, if you go back now.'

'Yes!' said the Swedish Short-Snout. 'Tonight!'

Nicko grinned. 'Let's go then,' he said, and they took off, heading for the cage.

. . .

After the dragons were safely stowed, Nicko headed back to the stadium. Harry appeared to have been victorious, because he could hear a lot of people cheering. As he approached people began pouring out. Nicko big behind one of the wooden supports and waited for Ron and Hermione.

When he saw them leave, he ran after them. They turned as they heard him approaching.

'Hey,' said Ron, grinning. 'You didn't tell me you could talk to dragons.'

'No one told me you could grow wings,' said Hermione, glaring at Ron.

'I swore him to secrecy,' Nicko told her. 'I'm a shapeshifter. Ron can explain later, since the secret's kind of out now.' He turned to Ron. 'I can speak the language of any animal I can shift into, so, yeah, I speak dragon.'

'Where are the dragons?' asked Hermione, looking around.

'Back in their cage,' said Nicko. 'I talked to them, and they agreed to go back if I promised to get them a bigger cage and better food soon. Speaking of which, I'll need to tell Dumbledore and Hagrid at some point. Also, I have to visit the Common Welsh Green tonight.'

Hermione gave him a disbelieving look. 'What, you just said "I'll give you food" and back they went?'

'Pretty much,' said Nicko.

'I'd go into a cage for food,' offered Ron.

'Teenage boys and dragons are completely different,' said Hermione.

Nicko shrugged. 'Part of my magic is that I can be very persuasive when I want to be,' he said. 'I'll show you. Ron, do you currently have any desire to jump in the lake?'

Ron looked over at the lake. 'No,' he said. 'It looks cold.'

'Ron,' said Nicko, his voice deadly serious, 'I think jumping in the lake would be great fun, don't you?' Nicko's voice didn't really sound any different, but something in it made Ron believe him.

'Well,' he said, 'now that you mention it, it could be fun.'

Nicko laughed. 'See?' he said to Hermione. 'I'm just a convincing person.'

Ron shook his head, trying to clear it. 'Weird,' he said.

'Fine,' said Hermione. 'Let's go find Dumbledore.'


End file.
